Neko Ashi Dachi (Cat Stance) Roll Call

[The Hammer]

Goju Ryu has it.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

For me it's a great fighting stance since you can throw kicks with the leading leg that has no weight on it.

 

This is true...but it's a bad "telegraph" if the person you're fighting knows what he's doing and he can "check" or block your lead foot easily.

[Karate-addict]

For me it's a great fighting stance since you can throw kicks with the leading leg that has no weight on it.

 

This is true...but it's a bad "telegraph" if the person you're fighting knows what he's doing and he can "check" or block your lead foot easily.

That's why I try to stand on my rear leg in such a way that my sparing partners don't know what I'm about to do . But mainly I use neko ashi dachi in a way that I wait for an attack and then try to intercept it, so my opponent rushes in on my shomen geri. It's also a great tactic to wait for the opponent to try with ashi barai and while he sweaps I kick (this one is my favourite).

Edited February 10, 2005 by Karate-addict

[italian_guy]

Goju ryu has it.. our stances are higher than in Shotokan... We have mostly Zenkutsu dachi, Neo Ashi dachi, Hon-Zenkutsu dachi, Sanchin dachi, Sheiko Dachi.

[Gyte]

We definitely have it in Shotokan. It is used, in fact, in our very first kata, Heian Shodan. It's the fourth move in the series of movements.

 

One of my favourite stances!

 

At my Shotokan school the stance of the fourth move in Heian Shodan is a zenkutsu dachi. Other Shotokan schools use a teiji dachi (T-stance) or a renoji dachi (L-stance) for this move. But from what I know it is definately not intended to be a neko ashi dachi in Shotokan.

 

My school does however use a neko ashi dachi in the kata Heian Godan just before the jump. Again other Shotokan schools use either a teiji dachi or a renoji dachi.

 

In Shotokan the neko ashi dachi has been completely banned out of low grade kata, mostly in favour of kokutsu dachi. The neko ashi dachi only appears in the higher black belt kata's. Although the neko ashi dachi is known in Shotokan I wouldn't call this stance a typical Shotokan stance. We don't even practice this stance in kihon training.

 

The same thing also applies to sanchin dachi. It appears in the higher kata's of Shotokan but I wouldn't call it a typical Shotokan stance.

[karategirl06]

In katas the cat stance is used.

[Kieran-Lilith]

Yeah, we have it in Eugue-Ryu. I "officially" learned it last week. I knew it before then, but not "officially" in the kata I was supposed to learn it in. Eugue-Ryu has a lot of very deep stances, but we still have Sanchin and Neko-Dobi-Ashi.

[Venrix]

For me it's a great fighting stance since you can throw kicks with the leading leg that has no weight on it.

This is true...but it's a bad "telegraph" if the person you're fighting knows what he's doing and he can "check" or block your lead foot easily.

True enough. But, the same could be stated for all stances. That is: anyone that knows what they are doing, knows what can and can't be pulled-out of the bag from any given stance.

Indeed, I often pull a stance because I want to telegraph something. The old 'double-bluff'. The seasoned fighter responds to my telegraph and I simply 'beat him to it'. Just as there are only so many things I can do from a given stance, there are only so many 'pre-emptive' blocks/strikes that can counter them.

So, 1st Telegraph. 2nd, wait for one of the predictable and pre-programmed 'pre-emptive strikes'.

Of course, that's what I love about Karate. It's just a game of human chess.

Every move is a telegraph. But, in the end, the greatest tactition overall that will win.

That said, I'm a great fan of your posts so, my comments aren't really aimed in your direction. I'm certain that you are more than aware of what I'm saying. My comments are really just the 'other side of the coin' for those who are less aware.

-V-

[aefibird]

We definitely have it in Shotokan. It is used, in fact, in our very first kata, Heian Shodan. It's the fourth move in the series of movements.

One of my favourite stances!

At my Shotokan school the stance of the fourth move in Heian Shodan is a zenkutsu dachi. Other Shotokan schools use a teiji dachi (T-stance) or a renoji dachi (L-stance) for this move. But from what I know it is definately not intended to be a neko ashi dachi in Shotokan.

My school does however use a neko ashi dachi in the kata Heian Godan just before the jump. Again other Shotokan schools use either a teiji dachi or a renoji dachi.

In Shotokan the neko ashi dachi has been completely banned out of low grade kata, mostly in favour of kokutsu dachi. The neko ashi dachi only appears in the higher black belt kata's. Although the neko ashi dachi is known in Shotokan I wouldn't call this stance a typical Shotokan stance. We don't even practice this stance in kihon training.

The same thing also applies to sanchin dachi. It appears in the higher kata's of Shotokan but I wouldn't call it a typical Shotokan stance.

It depends which Shotokan school/organisation you are with as to how much you use Neko Ashi Dachi.

Although my karate school is a multi-style hybrid (but loosly based on shotokan) we are affiliated with a Shotokan-only organisation.

Both Neko Ashi Datchi and Sanchi Datchi (along with Fudo Datchi/Sochin Datchi) get plenty of use within the organisation, even from whitebelt.

Kokutsu Datchi and Zenkutsu Datchi have plenty of good uses but other stances are to be found in Shotokan and are widely used.

We train in all stances at [/i]all[/i] grades, not just brown or blackbelts.

As for Heian Shodan, my school also used Neko Ashi Dachi for the 4th movement position. Neko Ashi Dachi is also used within Heian Godan, just prior to the jump.

[Fish]

In Wado Ryu Neko Ashi Dachi is used in the pinan katas (and probably the others, but I haven't got there yet).